Fence



(No Model.)

J. A. SPARKS & W. s. BROWN.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VJOHN A. SPARKS AND WALTER S. BROV N, OF EMINENCE, KENTUCKY. y

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,763, dated May 27,1890.

Application filed June 4, 1889. Serial No. 313,086. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known'that we, JOHN A. SPARKS and WALTER S. BROWN, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Eminence, in the county of Henry and State ofKentucky, have invented a new and useful Fence, of .which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in fences; and it consists incertain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of ourimproved felice. Fig. 2 is a side View showing the manner of stretchingthe wire, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the wire-stretchers.

In carrying out our invention wefemploy end posts A, of the usualconstruction, which are secured in the ground in the ordinary manner.One of these end posts is provided in its side near its upper end with anotch B, and adjacent to the end post we erect a bracepost C, having anotch D in its side near its lower end. A brace E extends between theend post and the brace-post and has its ends iitted in the said notches.Tie-rods F are inserted horizontally through the ends of the bracefpostand the end post, and are provided with suitable tightening nuts G, sothat the brace-post and the end post can be securely fastened together.By the arrangement just described we prevent the end post being drawnfrom the ground by the tension of the wires, as has frequently happenedheretofore.

The fence-Wires H are secured to the end post and extended along theline of fence through the several posts, and are drawn to the desiredtension by a stretcher I, which consists of a cylindrical body J,mounted in the fence-post, and a lever K, adapted to engage the saidbody. The body J is provided with a suitable numbervof transverseopenings L, in one of which the end of the wire is se-' cured; and it isfurther provided with the transverse pins M, between which the fork O atthe end of the lever engages. By engaging the fork at the end of thelever between the said pins and utilizing the post as a fulcrum the bodycan be drawn through the post, thereby stretching the wire, as shownmost clearly in Fig. 3. One of these stretchers is provided for eachfence-Wire, and as the wire is stretched it' will be drawn through thepost. After the wire has been stretched the rear transverse pin M isinserted through that opening in the cylinder which is nearest the post,so that it will bear against the side of the post and thus secure thewire and prevent the stretchers being withdrawn by the tension of thewire.

AThe pickets P consist of wooden slats of proper dimensions providedwith perforations Q, corresponding in number to the fencewires. Thepickets are secured on the fencewires by inserting a staple or U-shapedwire R over the fence-wire and through the perforation Q of the picket,then bending the ends of the said wire toward the opposite side edges ofthe picket and finally carrying the said ends backward to the fence-wireand wrapping them around the same. This construction will be readilyunderstood on reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be observed that we have provided -a fence which is very strongand durable,

and is composed of very few parts. The end post of the fence iseiectually prevented from being drawn over by employing the vbrace-post,the brace, and the tie-rods, as

shown and described. The wire can be easily stretched to the desiredtension, and after being stretched will be held against slipping. Thepickets are secured to the fence-Wires very eiectually and cannot beeasily removed, as the tyingwire passesV across the picket and binds thesame to the fence-wire at three distinct points.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the cylindrical body J, having a series of transverseperforations adapted to receive the ends of the Wire and provided withthe transverse pins M, and the4 lever having a fork at one end adaptedto engage between the said pins M, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as ourown we have heretoaiiixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. SPARKS.

VALTER S. BROVN. Witnesses:

J. A. VISE, JOHN FRIEND.

